The deal also includes a conditional 15th-round pick in 2017, which becomes Guelph’s second-round pick in 2019 – and becomes a ninth pick in the deal for Windsor – if Ebert plays one league game as an overage player next season.

“I think we have to take a little step back in a tough Western Conference,” Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel said. “We still expect big things from this team.”

Rychel made a pair of deals with the Mississauga Majors in 2010-11 to acquire Ebert and Rychel. At the time, the two were expected to be the cornerstones for a possible championship for the team this season.

“We would have liked to have won and gone for Memorial Cup run here, but other things need to be addressed and they felt getting these picks and this player will be better for the future,” Ebert said. “It’s understandable.”

There were several reasons why the Spitfires opted to make the move. The first was not being awarded the Memorial Cup in May.

While Windsor sits as the fifth seed in the Western Conference and just six points back of the fourth-seeded London Knights, who are assured of a Memorial Cup spot as host.

“We thought we would get the Memorial Cup,” Ebert said.

Still, the club had worked to build a roster capable of competing with the Knights this season and a chance for a league, but lost three key pieces.

The Calgary Flames opted to have defenceman Pat Sieloff turn pro, the club could not secure a release for top import pick Jacob de la Rose from his club in Sweden and veteran forward Chris Marchese suffered a shoulder injury in camp that will keep him out until at least February if not longer.

“If we had Marchese, de la Rose and Sieloff, it might be a different story,” Warren Rychel said.

Then, after a slow start where the club won just four of its first 10 games, the Spitfires reeled off 11 wins in 12 games, but gained little ground on the top teams in the Western Conference.

“We said we were going to assess our team at beginning of year and at the middle,” Boughner said. “We find ourselves winning 11of-12 and not moving in the conference.

“All the teams around us are adding and we don’t have a lot of assets in the bank.”

Still facing league sanctions for recruitment violations that will cost the teams its first-round pick in 2016 and its second-round pick in 2015 and 2017.

“I think we were in a tough situation,” Kerby Rychel said of the Spitfires’ predicament.

“I saw we were up there with some of best teams in league, but when time to look at the draft picks and young guys we have on the team (after the deal), it’s a bright future and headed on another run in the future.”

Had the club opted not to restock its draft cupboard or try to squeeze out one more run this year with other deals, the results could have been catastrophic.

“The next three years would have been desolation,” Boughner said if the club had chosen that path. “There would have been nothing in bank. This allowed us to address weaknesses and have assets.”

Now, the Spitfires can move forward for the future as well as the present.

“We won’t be in a fire sale by any means,” Boughner said. “We still want to be competitive. The next month or so, we want to try to improve our team for now and the future. I don’t think we’ll be big time sellers.”

It still didn’t make Tuesday’s move any easier.

“It’s a tough day,” Boughner said.

Rychel was the team’s leading scorer and is coming off back-to-back 40-goal seasons.

Ebert is off to the best start of his four-year career. He’s among the league top 10 defenceman in scoring and is tied with Spitfire defenceman Slater Koekkoek for the top plus/minus figure in the league at plus 27.

“I fully expect to keep it going in Guelph,” the 19-year Ebert said. “It’s a little bit of a surprise, but I had heard some (trade) rumblings.

“It’s something that’s tough to leave Windsor. I was here for four years and it’s like a second home, but I’m looking forward to the positive of going to a Memorial Cup contending team.”

For Rychel, it was home and he had developed from a grinding forward into one of the league’s most proficient goal scorers.

“Obviously, I don’t want to leave Windsor,” said Rychel, who was invited to Canada’s national junior final camp Monday. “(It was) such a big part of (my) life, but I’m a hockey player and they asked me to do what was best for the organization and I did that.

“I’m thankful to the organization (for getting him home for most of career) and to the fans and City of Windsor.”

The six-foot, 185-pound Milne can’t replace Rychel, but the club feels the 18-year-old has the opportunity to contribute and develop.

“He’s a good up and down, two-way winger and he’s done well with limited ice time,” Rychel said.

A former fourth-round pick, Milne has eight goals and 15 points in 28 games for the Storm this season and like Rychel he’s leaving his hometown.

“We had a tight-knit group in Guelph and it’s sad to see them go and I had tons of family here in Guelph,” Milne said. “It’s going to be tough, but ready for it.

“I just spoke to Mr. Rychel and a lot of confidence in me. I’ve heard tons of good things about the team and the organization and it’s been nothing but positive.”

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